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Soul legend Aretha Franklin, acclaimed singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, funk/R&B icons Earth Wind & Fire and Montreal singer-songwriter Coeur de pirate are among the artists who will be performing at the Montreal International Jazz Festival this summer.

For a guy who rarely finishes a sentence without bursting into laughter, Eric San can inhabit the role of tortured bluesman remarkably well. Even though the local turntablist, better known as Kid Koala, remains as infectiously upbeat as ever, San’s latest album, 12 Bit Blues, was inspired by the timeless unease of hitting the crossroads of life — an essential state to be in if you’re going to play, or in his case scratch, the blues.